Buffer crane for facilitating simultaneous multiple cargo container handling

Abstract

A buffer crane for supplementing a quay crane operation and formed to operate thereunder with a landing deck for facilitating simultaneous multiple cargo container handling by the quay crane.

1 . A buffer crane for facilitating simultaneous multiple cargo container handling comprising
 an elevated platform forming a landing deck where containers can be landed and temporarily stored by a quay crane when they are removed from shipboard or where containers picked off ground level transporters can be landed until they are picked up by the quay crane for transport to a ship, said platform being supported by motorized transport wheels for independent all-direction movement, said buffer crane having a low profile whereby it can be positioned underneath said quay crane to receive cargo containers therefrom as well as from said container transporters and whereby said quay crane can extract containers therefrom and said buffer crane can deliver containers therefrom to said transporters, said landing deck arranged to permit at least four containers to be positioned thereon in parallel alignment on container deposition positions located on said landing deck or in two pairs of tandem alignment container deposition positions located on said landing deck, and   a cargo container handling straddle crane mounted on rails disposed on the fore and aft edges of said platform and having container lifting apparatus arranged to transfer containers between said landing deck and said transporters located alongside said platform, said straddle crane having a height sufficient to clear over at least two stacked containers on said landing deck and a length to clear over two tandem aligned containers deposited on said landing deck.   
   
   
       2 . The buffer crane of  claim 1  wherein said straddle crane has fore and aft legs supporting a bridge which suspends said container lifting apparatus above said landing deck, the lower ends of said legs being mounted on motor driven wheel carriages engaged with said platform rails for reciprocating lateral motion of said bridge over the width of said landing deck and said opening in said platform, said bridge spanning the length of said landing deck whereby containers can be moved laterally along said landing deck to and from said opening therein whereby containers can be transferred therethrough between container transporters parked underneath said buffer crane and said landing deck. 
   
   
       3 . The buffer crane of  claim 2  within said straddle crane and said cargo container lifting apparatus with a container suspended therefrom are arranged on said platform at a level to pass above cargo containers deposited on said landing deck and remain below the supporting structure of any cargo container quay crane said straddle crane is positioned under. 
   
   
       4 . The buffer crane of  claim 3  including at least one service platform disposed proximate to said landing deck to permit workers to install and remove interbox connectors from cargo containers deposited on said deposition positions located on said landing deck. 
   
   
       5 . The buffer crane of  claim 4  including service platforms disposed on both sides of each of said deposition positions located on said landing deck to permit service workers to install or remove interbox connectors secured to corners of cargo containers deposited on said landing positions from the sides thereof. 
   
   
       6 . The buffer crane of  claim 5  including an automated control system for partial operation of said straddle crane to position said cargo container lifting apparatus over predetermined deposition positions on said landing deck and to move containers with coordinated motion. 
   
   
       7 . A buffer straddle crane for cargo container handling comprising
 an elevated platform forming a landing deck where containers can be landed and temporarily stored by a quay crane when they are removed from shipboard or where containers picked off ground level transporters can be landed until they are picked up by the quay crane for transport to a ship, said platform having at least one opening in said landing deck where containers can be lowered and raised therethrough, said platform being supported by motorized transport wheels for independent all-direction movement, said buffer crane having a low profile whereby it can be positioned underneath said quay crane to receive cargo containers therefrom as well as from said container transporters and whereby said quay crane can extract containers therefrom and said buffer crane can deliver containers therefrom to said transporters, said landing deck arranged to permit at least four containers to be positioned thereon in parallel alignment on container deposition positions located on said landing deck or in two pairs of tandem alignment container deposition positions located on said landing deck,   a straddle crane having fore and aft legs supporting a bridge which suspends container lifting apparatus above said landing deck, the lower ends of said legs being mounted on motor driven wheel carriages engaged with said platform rails for reciprocating lateral motion of said bridge over the width of said landing deck and said opening in said platform, said bridge spanning the length of said landing deck whereby containers can be moved laterally along said landing deck to and from said opening therein whereby containers can be transferred therethrough between container transporters parked underneath said buffer crane and said landing deck, said straddle crane and said cargo container lifting apparatus with a container suspended therefrom being arranged on said platform at a level to pass above cargo containers deposited on said landing deck and remain below the supporting structure of any cargo container quay crane it is positioned under, said straddle crane having a height sufficient to clear over at least two stacked containers on said landing deck and a length to clear over two tandem aligned containers deposited on said landing deck,   a multiplicity of predetermined parallel container deposition positions located on said landing deck service platforms disposed on both sides of each of said deposition positions located on said landing deck to permit service workers to install or remove interbox connectors secured to corners of cargo containers deposited on said landing positions from the sides thereof, and   an automated control system for at least partial operation of said straddle crane to position said cargo container lifting apparatus over said predetermined deposition positions on said landing deck and to move containers with coordinated motion.